A Happy Accident

Details: Created on Thursday, 29 September 2016 13:03; Written by Josh Pooler

Danville - They say that the worst thing that can happen to an athlete is a career ending injury. But as are many things in life, some doors closing, open new ones that were never even given a second thought. For Riley Fenoff, a now 16 year old junior at Danville High School, the injury that ended one career, opened the door to an entirely new world.

Fenoff was a motocross racer, until one day he took a terrible spill. “I shattered my shoulder in a motocross accident,” explains Fenoff. Fenoff knew the risks that came along with such an intense sport, but it was something that ran in the family. His father was also a motocross racer when he was younger. Although Fenoff was determined to get back on the

bike, he had no idea just where his life was about to go.

Riley explain that “you have to be very strong to race motocross.” With a busted up shoulder, he was determined to get it back up to strength and in order to do so he started his physical training. Running was a big part of Riley’s PT, as it kept him in shape. He decided to run a road race in Danville to keep him on track with his PT and found he had a natural talent for running. Fenoff wasn't the only one who took notice. The head of the rec. program, Joe Fox, had been beaten by Riley and decided to recruit him to the middle school track team. The running did help Riley’s shoulder recover and he would finish the motocross season with a championship, but it would be his last season ever, as running became his new found passion.

When Fenoff moved up to high school, he was hit with a new problem. Danville high school did not have a cross country team. Continuing with his no quit attitude, Fenoff didn't let that stop him. He is now an independent runner for Danville. “I started running in high school with my father as my coach,” Fenoff explains, and his father had no cross country of track background. “I trained myself for awhile, then Chip Langmaid let me train with his team from St. J.”

The move to train with a competing school was a new experience for Fenoff. “Initially I was completely out of place and had no idea what to do, so I kept quiet and I would run like I have always done. Then, my now friends, were like, wow he’s pretty quick for a freshman. I made more friends, and gained their respect by my will to win and to strive to be the best.” With the coaches having the idea of the combined training sessions, it was understandable that the coaches would be more accepting than the St. J runners at first. “Chip Langmaid and Mr. Kennedy were more than accommodating, but I had to earn my place with others and I was kind of seen as an enemy, but they started to warm up to me,” Fenoff explains. With Fenoff’s continued display of perseverance, he pushed through and stuck with this new form of training. “Now I’m basically part of their team.”

Accepting Riley at practice was an easy enough task for the St. J team. A helping factor was who Riley strives to be everyday. “Riley is a great athlete and even better a great kid,” explains St. Johnsbury coach Chip Langmaid. After being accepted by his new team at practices, Riley now faced a more difficult task, competing against his new found teammates during meets.

“I do race against them almost every time,” explains Fenoff. For any athlete, it is hard to not view an opposing uniform as the enemy, but Riley and the St. J team have a different situation than normal. With a few meets of growing pains, Riley was eventually seen as a teammate during the meets, even if he was wearing different colors. “At first is wasn't quite that way, but now it is very much that way,” said Fenoff.

Fenoff found that with his new team, it has become much easier to train. Having the coach and his fellow teammates helps him push his limits in ways that were more difficult when he was training on his own and it can be seen on the course. “I just broke my personal record by 30 seconds and I’m going to be the athlete of the week for the Caledonia Record,” said Fenoff.

Riley has gone through both physical pain, and uncomfortable situation, but they have made him stronger, and they opened new doors for him. “I never thought I would be running track or cross country,” Fenoff said. Looking back on the injury that lead him to his new found success, Fenoff says that “it was probably the best thing that could have happened.”